Chapter I: Preface

The selections in the HIGH SCHOOL READER have been chosen with the belief that to pupils of such advancement as is required for entrance into High Schools and Collegiate Institutes, oral reading should be taught from the best literature, inasmuch as it not only affords a wide range of thought and sentiment, but it also demands for its appropriate vocal interpretation such powers of sympathy and appreciation as are developed only by culture; and it is to impart culture that these institutions of higher learning have been established.

Experience has shown that it is from their ordinary reading books that pupils obtain their chief practical acquaintance with literature, and the selections here presented have been made with this in remembrance. They have been taken from the writings of authors of acknowledged representative character; and they have been arranged for the most part chronologically, so that pupils may unconsciously obtain some little insight into the history of the development of the literary art. They have also been so chosen as to convey a somewhat fair idea of the relative value and productivity of authorship in the three great English-speaking communities of the world--the mother countries, our neighbours' country, and our own.

While a limited space, if nothing else, prevents the collection here made from being a complete anthology, yet it does pretend to represent the authors selected in characteristic moods, and (in so far as is possible in a school book, and a reading text-book) to present a somewhat fair perspective of the world of authorship. It may be said that, if this be so, some names are conspicuously absent: McGee, Canada's poet-orator; Parkman, who has given to our country a place in the portraiture of nations; William Morris, the chief of the modern school of romanticism; Tyndall, who of the literature of science has made an art; Lamb, daintiest of humorists; Collins, "whose range of flight," as Swinburne says, "was the highest of his generation." Either from lack of space, or from some inherent unsuitableness in such selections as might otherwise have been made, it was found impossible to represent these names worthily; but as they are all more or less adequately represented in the _Fourth Reader_, the teacher who may wish to correct the perspective here presented may refer his pupils to the pieces from these authors there given. It may be added, too, that the body of recent literature is so enormous, that no adequate representation of it (at any rate as regards quantity) is possible within the limits of one book.

The selections in poetry, with but three necessary exceptions, are complete wholes, and represent, as fairly as single pieces can, the respective merits and styles of their authors. The selections in prose cannot, of course, lay claim to this excellence; but they are all complete in themselves, or have been made so by short introductions; and it is hoped that they too are not unfairly representative of their authors. In many cases they are of somewhat unusual length; by this, however, they gain in interest and in representative character.

In some of the prose selections, passages have occasionally been omitted, either because they interfered with the main narrative, or because, as they added nothing to it, to omit them would be a gain of space. In most cases these omissions are indicated by small asterisks.

All the selections, both in prose and in verse, have been made with constant reference to their suitableness for the teaching of reading. They are fitted to exemplify every mode of expression, except, perhaps, that appropriate to a few of the stronger passions. It is not pretended that they are all simple and easy. Many of them will require much study and preparation before they can be read with that precision of expression which is necessary to perfect intelligibility. The chronological arrangement precludes grading; the teacher will decide in what order the selections are to be read.

The introductory chapter is mainly intended to assist the teacher in imparting to his pupils a somewhat scientific knowledge of the art of reading. Of course the teacher will choose for himself his mode of dealing with the chapter, but it has been written with the thought that he should use it as a convenient series of texts, which he might expand and illustrate in accordance with his opportunities and judgment. Examples for illustration are indispensable to the successful study of the principles described, and they should be sought for and obtained by the teacher and pupils together (whenever possible they should be taken from the READER), and should be kept labeled for reference and practice. If the application of these principles be thus practically made by the pupils themselves, they will receive a much more lasting impression of their meaning and value than if the examples were given to them at no cost of thought or search on their part.

To the teacher it is recommended that he should not be contented with the short and necessarily imperfect exposition of the art of reading therein given. The more familiar he is with the scientific principles the more successfully will he be able to direct the studies and practices of his pupils. Works on elocution are numerous and accessible. Dr. Rush's _Philosophy of the Voice_ is perhaps the foundation of all subsequent good work in the exposition of voice culture. Professor Murdoch's _Analytic Elocution_ is an exhaustive and scholarly treatise based upon it, and to the plan of treatment therein fully developed the practical part of the introductory chapter has largely conformed.

The pleasing task remains of thanking those authors who have so kindly responded to requests for permission to use selections from their works: to President Wilson, for a sonnet from _Spring Wild Roses_, and for _Our Ideal_; to Mr. Charles Sangster, for two sonnets from _Hesperus_; to Mr. John Reade, for two poems from _The Prophecy of Merlin_; to Mr. Charles Mair, for the scenes from _Tecumseh_; and to Professor C. G. D. Roberts, for _To Winter_.

To Miss A. T. Jones, thanks are due for permission to use _Abigail Becker_, recently published in the _Century Magazine_. The heroic acts described in this poem seem so wonderful, so greatly superior to woman's strength, even to human strength and endurance, to accomplish, that were it possible to doubt its truthfulness, doubt one certainly would. Nevertheless the poem is not only strictly in accordance with the facts, it is even within and below them.

CONTENTS.

_(The Titles of the Selections in Poetry are printed in Italics.)_

NUMBER. TITLE. AUTHOR. PAGE.

I. King Solomon's Prayer and Blessing at the
Dedication of the Temple. HOLY BIBLE 33

II. Invitation. HOLY BIBLE 39

III. _The Trial Scene in the "Merchant of
Venice."_ SHAKESPEARE 40

IV. Of Boldness. BACON 53

V. _To Daffodils._ HERRICK 55

VI. Of Contentedness in all Estates and
Accidents. TAYLOR 56

VII. _To Lucasta, on Going to the Wars._ LOVELACE 61

VIII. Angling. WALTON 62

IX. _On the Morning of Christ's Nativity._ MILTON 67

X. Character of Lord Falkland. CLARENDON 76

XI. _Veni, Creator Spiritus._ DRYDEN 81

XII. _Lines printed under the Portrait of
Milton._ DRYDEN 82

XIII. _Reason_ DRYDEN 83

XIV. On the Love of Country as a Principle of
Action. STEELE 83

XV. The Golden Scales. ADDISON 88

XVI. Misjudged Hospitality. SWIFT 93

XVII. _From the "Essay on Man."_ POPE 96

XVIII. _Rule, Britannia._ THOMSON 101

XIX. The First Crusade. HUME 102

XX. _The Bard._ GRAY 111

XXI. On an Address to the Throne concerning
Affairs in America. CHATHAM 116

XXII. From "The Vicar of Wakefield." GOLDSMITH 127

XXIII. Meeting of Johnson with Wilkes. BOSWELL 133

XXIV. The Policy of the Empire in the First
Century. GIBBON 142

XXV. On the Attacks upon his Pension. BURKE 147

XXVI. Two Eighteenth Century Scenes. COWPER 155

XXVII. From "The School for Scandal." SHERIDAN 159

XXVIII. _The Cotter's Saturday Night._ BURNS 171

XXIX. _The Land o' the Leal._ LADY NAIRN 177

XXX. The Trial by Combat at the Diamond of
the Desert. SCOTT 179

XXXI. _To a Highland Girl._ WORDSWORTH 202

XXXII. _France: an Ode._ COLERIDGE 205

XXXIII. _Complaint and Reproof._ COLERIDGE 208

XXXIV. _The Well of St. Keyne._ SOUTHEY 209

XXXV. _The Isles of Greece._ BYRON 211

XXXVI. _Go where Glory Waits Thee._ MOORE 214

XXXVII. _Dear Harp of My Country._ MOORE 215

XXXVIII. _Come, ye Disconsolate._ MOORE 216

XXXIX. _On a Lock of Milton's Hair._ HUNT 217

XL. _The Glove and the Lions._ HUNT 217

XLI. _The Cloud._ SHELLEY 219

XLII. _On First Looking into Chapman's Homer._ KEATS 222

XLIII. _On the Grasshopper and the Cricket._ KEATS 222

XLIV. The Power and Danger of the Caesars. DE QUINCEY 223

XLV. Unthoughtfulness. DR. ARNOLD 227

XLVI. _The Bridge of Sighs._ HOOD 234

XLVII. _A Parental Ode to my Son._ HOOD 237

XLVIII. Metaphysics. HALIBURTON 239

XLIX. _Indian Summer._ LOVER 246

L. _To Helen._ PRAED 246

LI. _Horatius._ MACAULAY 247

LII. _The Raven._ POE 258

LIII. David Swan--A Fantasy. HAWTHORNE 262

LIV. _My Kate._ MRS. BROWNING 270

LV. _A Dead Rose._ MRS. BROWNING 271

LVI. _To the Evening Wind._ BRYANT 272

LVII. Death of the Protector. CARLYLE 274

LVIII. _Each and All._ EMERSON 282

LIX. Waterloo. LEVER 284

LX. _The Diver._ LYTTON 294

LXI. The Plague of Locusts. NEWMAN 299

LXII. _The Cane-bottom'd Chair._ THACKERAY 306

LXIII. The Reconciliation. THACKERAY 308

LXIV. _The Island of the Scots._ AYTOUN 315

LXV. The Gambling Party. BEACONSFIELD 321

LXVI. The Pickwickians Disport themselves on Ice. DICKENS 327

LXVII. _The Hanging of the Crane._ LONGFELLOW 336

LXVIII. Earthworms. DARWIN 342

LXIX. "_As Ships, Becalmed at Eve._" CLOUGH 346

LXX. _Duty._ CLOUGH 347

LXXI. _Sonnets._ HEAVYSEGE 349

LXXII. Dr. Arnold at Rugby. DEAN STANLEY 350

LXXIII. _Ode to the North-east Wind._ KINGSLEY 354

LXXIV. From "The Mill on the Floss." GEORGE ELIOT 356

LXXV. _The Cloud Confines._ ROSSETTI 359

LXXVI. _Barbara Frietchie._ WHITTIER 361

LXXVII. _Contentment._ HOLMES 364

LXXVIII. The British Constitution. GLADSTONE 367

LXXIX. _The Lord of Burleigh._ TENNYSON 370

LXXX. "_Break, Break, Break._" TENNYSON 373

LXXXI. _The "Revenge"._ TENNYSON 373

LXXXII. _Herve Riel._ BROWNING 378

LXXXIII. _Sonnet._ DR. WILSON 383

LXXXIV. _Our Ideal._ DR. WILSON 383

LXXXV. From the Apology of Socrates. JOWETT 384

LXXXVI. The Empire of the Caesars. FROUDE 389

LXXXVII. Of the Mystery of Life. RUSKIN 390

LXXXVIII. The Robin. LOWELL 397

LXXXIX. _The Old Cradle._ LOCKER 400

XC. _Rugby Chapel._ MATT. ARNOLD 401

XCI. _In the Orillia Woods._ SANGSTER 408

XCII. Morals and Character in the Eighteenth
Century. GOLDWIN SMITH 409